born Nov. 1, 1609, Alderley, Gloucestershire, Eng.
died Dec. 25, 1676, Alderley
British legal scholar.
Orphaned at age 5, he planned to become a minister but ultimately chose the study of law. He defended Archbishop William Laud and other Royalists during the English Civil Wars (164251). As a justice of the Court of Common Pleas (165458) and a member of Parliament (165460), he played a major role in reforming the legal system and promoting the restoration of Charles II . He later became chief baron of the Exchequer (1660) and chief justice of the King's Bench (167176). One of the greatest scholars of the history of English common law , he is best known for his History of the Pleas of the Crown (published 1736).